Middle East Initiative

Former MEI Postdoctoral Research Fellow Elizabeth R. Nugent receives APSA’s Comparative Democratization Best Paper Award and honorable mention in two other awards for the section.

On June 24, Turkey will go to early presidential and parliamentary polls. The snap elections come amidst significant macroeconomic turmoil. As fears persist over the strength of Turkey’s economy, what can be said about how the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has managed public resources since its arrival into power in 2002? Do patterns of government spending reflect development or economic needs or do political priorities largely dictate how budgets are allocated?

Throughout the 2000s, Turkey was portrayed as a model of social and economic success for other countries in the MENA region. Ahead of the country’s early presidential and parliamentary polls, this column reports research evidence on how the ruling Justice and Development Party has managed public resources and fostered local economic development since it took power in 2002. The government has played a substantial role in influencing local economic performance on a discretionary basis.

Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs today announced that Sultan of Oman Professor of International Relations Tarek Masoud will serve as faculty chair of the Center’s Middle East Initiative (MEI).

What does a new social contract mean in the Jordanian context, and how would this help Jordan to overcome its persistent political and economic problems?

Taxes rise and the cost of living and austerity measures are stoking demands for Jordan's prime minister to resign.

The Psychology of Repression and Polarization in Authoritarian Regimes 

Middle East Initiative Senior Fellow Salam Fayyad discusses his career.

A new fellowship program at Harvard Kennedy School will provide tuition, health insurance, and stipends for Palestinian students in the Harvard Kennedy School’s degree programs, as well as financial aid for Palestinian participants in the school’s executive education programs.

Stephen Walt writes that Donald Trump's goal in withdrawing the United States from the JCPOA is to prevent Iran from establishing normal relations with the rest of the world.